My father had a small estate in Nottingham
I was the third of four sons
He sent me to Cambridge at fourteen years old
I studied there for three years
after that I found an apprenticeship with Mr. Bates
he was a famous surgeon in London
now and then my father sent me small sums of money
I spent the money in learning navigation
and I studied other arts useful to those who travel
I always believed it would be a useful skill

my apprenticeship lasted for three years
my good master, Mr. Bates, recommended me as ship’s surgeon
he got me a job on a ship called The Swallow
on this ship I voyaged three years
When I came back I settled in London
I took on a mortgage for a small house
and I married Miss Mary Burton
the daughter of shop keeper, Mr. Edmund Burton
But my good master Bates died two years later
I only had a few friends
so my business began to fail
so I decided to go to sea again
After several voyages, I accepted an offer from Captain W. Pritchard
he was ship master of “The Antelope”
he was making a voyage to the South Sea
We set sail from Bristol, on the 4th of May 1699
at first our voyage was very prosperous
we were on our passage to the East Indies
and we had gotten to the north-west of Van Diemen’s Land
there, however, we were met by a violent storm
eight of our crew had already died from hard labour
and four of our crew died from bad food
the rest of us were in a very weak condition
On the fifth of November the weather was very hazy
the seamen spied a rock within a hundred and twenty yards of the ship
but the wind was too strong
and we were pushed straight upon the rock
our boat was broken against the rock
Six of us managed to launch a rescue boat
we managed to get away from the rocks
and we rowed about three leagues
and then we rowed till we could work no longer
We had trusted ourselves to the mercy of the waves
half an hour later the boat was upset by a sudden wave
What became of my companions in the boat I do not know
nor do I know what happened to my companions on the rock
but I conclude they were all lost
For my part, I swam as fortune directed me
I was pushed forward by wind and tide
eventually I was able to struggle no longer
I found myself within reach of land
By this time the storm had calmed down
at about eight in the evening I reached the shore
I advanced nearly half a mile inland
but I could not see any signs of inhabitants
I was extremely tired from the shipwreck
and the heat of the weather lulled me to sleep
the grass was very short and soft
and I laid down on it to sleep
I slept sounder than ever I did in my life

When I woke daylight had just broken
I attempted to rise, but could not
I had happened to fall asleep on my back
and now my arms and legs were fastened to the ground
and my hair, which was long and thick, was tied down too
I could only look upward
The sun began to grow hot
and the light hurt my eyes
I heard a confused noise around me
but could see nothing except the sky
In a little time I felt something alive
it was moving on my left leg
it gently advanced over my chest
and then it came almost up to my chin
I looked down as well as I could
and I perceived what looked like a little human creature
it could not have been more than six inches high
it had a bow and arrow in his hands
In the meantime I felt at least another forty of them
they were following the first little man
I was in the utmost astonishment
I roared so loud that they all ran back in a fright
and some of them were hurt from jumping off me sides
However, they soon returned
and one of them ventured far enough to see my face
he lifted up his hands in admiration
I lay all this while in great uneasiness
but at length, I struggled to get loose
and finally I succeeded in breaking the strings
my left arm was now free
next I gave a violent pull with my head
this gave my hair great pain
but I loosened the strings around my hair a little
now I was able to turn my head about two inches
But the creatures ran off a second time
and I had not chance to seize them
all this caused a great uproar from the little people
in an instant I felt more than a hundred arrows
they had shot their little arrows at my left hand
they pricked me like so many needles
Moreover, they shot another attack into the air
some of these fell on my face
I immediately covered my face with my left hand
When this shower of arrows was over I groaned with grief and pain
I tried again to get loose
and they discharged another flight of arrows larger than the first
and some of them tried to stab me with their spears
but by good luck I had on a leather jacket
there was no way they could pierce it
By this time I thought it most prudent to lie still till night
my left hand was already free
I could easily free myself later
the inhabitants didn’t really worry me
I was sure I would be stronger than their greatest army
as long as they were all the same size

the people observed that I was quiet
so they discharged no more arrows
but I knew that they were increasing in numbers
because I could hear the size of the crowd growing
about four yards from me there was a knocking
this knocking lasted for the better part of an hour
they must have been at work, making something
I turned my head towards the noise as well as I could
the pegs and strings still restricted me
a stage had been set up
it was about a foot and a half from the ground
two or three ladders were mounted to it
someone was standing on the stage
they seemed to be a person of quality
and they were making a long speech
I could not understand a word of it
but I could tell from his manner what he was saying
sometimes he was threatening me
at other times he spoke with pity and kindness
I answered in few words
but I made sure to be as submissive as possible
by now I was almost famished with hunger
and I knew I had come to depend on their kindness
I could not help showing my impatience
I put my finger frequently to my mouth, to signify that I wanted food
He understood me very well
and he descended from the stage
he commanded several ladders to be put against my sides
more than a hundred of the inhabitants climbed up the ladders
and they walked toward my mouth with baskets full of food
There were legs and shoulders of mutton
but they were smaller than the wings of a lark
I ate them two or three at a mouthful
and I took three loaves at a time
They supplied me as fast as they could
and they marvelled at my appetite
I then made a sign that I wanted something to drink
They guessed that a small quantity would not suffice me
so they brought me their largest barrel
they rolled it towards my hand
and then they opened the top for me
I drank it in one gulp
because it did not hold more than half a pint
They brought me a second barrel
I drank this barrel also
and I made signs for more
but they had no more to give me
I could not but wonder how daring these tiny people were
they ventured to mount and walk upon my body
and they knew my hand was free
but despite this they never trembled once
even though I must have seemed a huge creature to them

After some time a person of high rank came
he was from his Imperial Majesty
His Excellency mounted my right leg
and then he advanced to my face
about a dozen of his men followed him
he spoke for about ten minutes
he often pointed in the same direction
afterwards I found this was towards the capital city
it was about half a mile from where we were
his Majesty had commanded that I should be carried
I made a sign with my hand that was loose
but I made sure not to hurt his Excellency
and I showed that I desired to be freed
He seemed to understand me well enough
because he shook his head
but he made other signs too
this let me know there would be enough food and drink
and I was promised very good treatment
I thought once more of attempting to escape
but then I remembered the wounds from their arrows
my face and hand were covered in blisters
and I observed that the number of my enemies had increased
I gave a sign to show they had my permission
they could do with me as they pleased
Then they rubbed my face and hands with a sweet-smelling ointment
in a few minutes all the pain was gone
The relief from pain and hunger made me drowsy
and I fell asleep again
I slept about eight hours, as I was told afterwards
and it was not surprising
they had mingled a sleeping medicine into the barrel of wine

It seems that the emperor had been well informed of my arrival
they had noticed me coming onto their island
and they must have followed me secretly
when I fell asleep it had been decided to tie me up
but they had also prepared the food and drink well in advance
and a machine had been prepared to carry me to the capital city
Five hundred carpenters and engineers were employed
they immediately set to work to prepare the engine
It was a frame of wood
they raised it three inches from the ground
and it was about seven feet long, and four wide
it moved upon twenty-two wheels
But the difficulty was to put me on it
Eighty poles were erected for this purpose
and very strong cords were fastened to bandages
the workmen had tied these around me
around my neck, hands, body, and legs
Nine hundred of the strongest men were then rounded up
they pulled these cords with pulleys
moving me onto the platform took less than three hours
and there they tied me again
Fifteen hundred of the Emperor’s largest horses were rounded up
each horse was about four inches and a half high
and they were then employed to pull me towards the capital
But while all this was done I lay in a deep sleep
and I did not wake till four hours after we began our journey

we had finally reached the capital
The Emperor and all his Court came out to meet us
but they would not risk the Emperor’s life
so he did not go onto my body
we stopped near the great gate of the city
here there stood an ancient temple
supposedly this was the largest temple in the whole kingdom
and here it was determined that I should lodge
I could easily creep through the great gate, if they wanted me in their city
they fixed ninety-one chains to me
chains like those which hang to a lady’s watch
and they locked my left leg with thirty-six padlocks
the workmen determined it was impossible for me to break loose
and then they cut all the strings that bound me
I rose up for the first time since I had slept on the island
and I felt as melancholy as I ever had in my life
the noise and astonishment of the people was inexpressible
they had never seen something so big stand up
The chains that held my left leg were about two yards long
I had enough freedom to walk in a semicircle
and I could just about lie at full length inside the temple
The Emperor advanced toward me from among his courtiers
he surveyed me with great admiration
but he stayed beyond the length of my chain
He was taller than the rest of his men
but only by about the length of half a fingernail
this alone was enough to strike awe into the beholders
The better to behold him, I lay down on my side
so that my face was level with his
and he stood three yards off
However, I have had him in my hand many times since then
and therefore I cannot be deceived
His dress was very simple
but he wore a light helmet of gold
it was adorned with jewels and a plume
He held his sword drawn in his hand, to defend himself if I should break loose
it was almost three inches long
and the hilt was of gold, enriched with diamonds
His voice was shrill, but very clear
His Imperial Majesty spoke often to me
and I answered him as best I could
but neither of us could understand a word